High-compression internal-combustion engine



June 10, 1930. l w. GERNANDT 1,762,295

HIGH COMPRESSION INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed June 20, 192] 2 Sheets-Sheet l fl. s

June'1'0, 1930. w. a. GERNANDT 1,762,295

HIGH COMPRESSION INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed June 20, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WzMa GOG/6797207241 p w-flaw W m. attcg Patented June 10, 1930 UNITED STA ES PATENT OFFICE WALDO G. GERNANM, 0F SOUTHBEND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO GERNANDT MOTOR CORPQRATION, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA 3 RIGH-GOMPRESSION' INTERNAL-(IQMBUSTION ENGINE Application filed. June a,

This invention relates to improvements in the fuel feed members and apparatus of a high compression internal combustion engine.

Among the objects of this invention are to [F obtain means to lubricate the fuel feeding members or plungers of engines of the kind named, in which, in timed relation with the piston of the engine, fuel is injected into the combustionchamberof the engine and to 0 obtain means to build up and maintain pressure inthe fuel tankof the engine, from the movement of said plungers. An additional object is to obtain an engine in which a measured quantity of fuel wil1,with certainty, be deposited in a depository adjacent to and communicating withthe combustion chamber of theengine. y p A still further object of my invention is to force the fuel from the said depository into 20 the combustion chamber of the engine through the medium of a fluid whichwill not sustain combustion, such fiuid preferably being a a portion of the products of combustion in which some air or other fluids may or may ,not be mixed, the principal thing being that this inert fluid is trapped and. then compressed to such a degree that the fuel is forced intothe cylinderin timed relation with respect to the piston operating therein. In the drawings referred to and illustrating concrete embodiments of this invention,--

Fig. l is a vertical section of 'the upper part or portion of an engine; p i

Fig. 2is a vertical section showin a modification of the longitudinally mova lemember illustrated in Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of an additional modification of said longitudinally movable member. i

i Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic viewof a fuel tank adapted to operate with theembodiment of this invention; and Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1, viewed as indicated by arrows. p

A reference characterapplied to designate a given part indicates said part throughout the several figures ofthe drawings whereever the same appears. A represents a water cooled engine cylinder, a, a, being the water chambers thereof 1921. Serial No. 478,805.

although it is to be understood that my inthe combustion chamber of the engine CYliIl-x der E represents the fuel tray or depository; and F a restricted passage way communicatin with tray E and combustion chamber d. It is to be understood that the space D, and the passageway F form a pocket of such shape and are so positioned that the fluid products of combustion cannot be scavanged therefrom; also, the volume of this pocket is sufiiciently large so that it will contain fluid products of combustion sufficient to fill the entire fuel depository E, passageway, I and the compression chamber above the plunger J J. G represents a valve positioned above the fuel tray, and g a passage way arrangedto discharge fuel on to said valve. H represents a fuel feed con-.

trolling member which is provided with annular groove? registering with the discharge end 0 the fuel supply pipe or conduit n. The annular groove 'h registers with the inlet end of passage way 9, and the vertical groove h in member H is in communication with annular grooves h, h, which resfpectively provide communicating receptacles or fuel which is fed in measured quantity controlled by the longitudinal position of member H; and said member is positioned b hand wheel H, or otherequivalent means. represents a gland for holding packing in place around member H. I, I, Fig. 1, represent a vertical cylindrical passage way, of two diameters, part If thereof, (in Fig. 1), communicating with fuel tray E. J, J, represent a longitudinally movable member hereinafter termed a plunger of two diameters corresponding with and positioned in the two part passage way I, I. K represents a coiled spring tending to 'yieldingly force and maintain plunger J, J, in position with piston B is substantially at the end of its compression travel. Said passage way Z municates with part I ofpassage way I, I.

M-represents a passage way which communicates withthe part of passage way I, I,

in which the spring K is positioned, and with the screw threaded chamber m, to which chamber conduit m is attachable, in the ordinary way. Pipe or conduit m extends from chamber m to the fuel tank N, and discharges thereinto above the liquid fuel contents thereof. n represents a pipe or conduit from fuel tank N to the fuel chamber formed by the annular groove h, hereinbefore described.

When piston B is at the end of its compression travel, as is illustrated by full lines in. Fig. 1, the maximum pressure in the combustion chamberv Dd, extends through pas sage' ways L, Z, Z, cylindrical passage way I, I.- At said time the maximum pressure in and above tray E andpart I of said passage way does not, of

course, exceed the maximum pressure in part I and the area of part J of plunger J, J, being in excess ofthe area of art J thereof, said plunger is forced rapid y upward; injecting thefluid products of combustion'or an inert fluid which has been trapped in the fuel depository E and the upper part of compression chamber I through restricted passage F, it being understood that the fluid products of combustion pass through the opening F into E and I, immediately following the ignitionof the fuel in the engine cylinder and this inert fluid is compressed by the plungers J, J, thereby forcing the fuel contents of the tray through restricted pas: sage way F, into the combustion chamber Ed, and combustion occurs therein, in timed relation to piston B. Spring K is, by said upward movement ofthe plunger compressed, tending to return the plunger to its initial,

position, and at the time, if not before, the

upper end of piston B travels below passage. passage way way 1, the pressure in part I, of

I, I, becomes so reduced that t e recoil of said spring is sufficient to force the plunger down to said initial position, say, with the lower end thereof in the plane indicated by broken lines j, Fig. 1

While the rapid upper movement of the plunger J, J is compressing the inert fluid in the s ace I above the end of the and orcing the fuel in the tray into the engine cylinder, the lower part of the plunger J is producing compression through the passageway M, which is connected to pipe or conduit m" and to fuel tank N, producing suflicient pressure in said tank and in pipe or conduit n to insure positive and uniform flow of fuel to the receptacle formed-by the annular groove h in member II. It will be understood that some of the fuel deposited in tray "plungers J some of it is actually for COIIl-' to part I of the vertical Elunger J 1 downward along J into that part of the chamber occupied by the spring K, or chamthrough the passageway M back to the fuel tank. This action of the fuel downward along the plungers J, J acts to lubricate the plunger. The fuel is passed to the depository E toward or near the end of the expansion stroke. Consequently the forcing of the products of'combustionthrough the depository as above explained produces a turbulence within the depository and compression chamber which tends to finely divide the fuel preparatory to its ejection into the engine 0 linder. Probably, due to the turbulence a ove mentioned, it is a more or less gaseous mixture together'with solid particles of fuel which passes the plunger J to chamber carrying spring Kor R, Fig. 3. No considerable quantity of said fuel extends below the piston J, J, into the lower part of chamber I, I, and the small quantity flowing below the plunger is discharged into the cylinder A of thef'engine, upon the uncovering of passage way Z, as recited.

In Fig. 2 the plunger J, J, illustrated, is yieldingly forced downward by spring K, and is mechanically forced upward by cam Pp, which is rigidly secure-d on crank shaft Q, of theengine. "9 represents a roller at the lower end of plunger J, J, which travels on cam Pp. The-plunger J, J, it will be observed, is reversed in this construction, with the part thereof of largerv diameter at the upper end of the passage way I, I; said passage way being also made with the larger diameter thereof constituting the upper part thereof. By this means I obtain the chamber R, and from said chamber the passage way M extends to screw threaded chamber m, to which the pipe or conduit m is attached. 4

In Fig. 3 I illustrate a plunger J which is provided with an annular groove 7', whereby a chamber R is obtained, corresponding with chamber R, Fig. '2, (and also with the chamber in which spring K is positioned in Fig. 1), and from said chamber R the passage way M extends to the screw threaded outlet chamber m. The fact that the annular groove 1' co acting with chamber R pro .duces suflicient pressure onthe fuel tank N to force the fuel therefrom, indicates that a gaseous mixture does get by the plunger J as has'been pointed out.

1' represents a gland. for retaining stuffing material (Fig. 2). around member J of plunger J, J and 1" a similar gland on plunger J, in Fig. 3.

7c represents. an abutment against which end of spring K, (Fig. 2) rests.

The operation and effect of plungers (J, J, Fig. 2 and J", Fig. 3), relative to obtaining pressure in pipe or Conduit m and tank a the part p of the cam until'the point p is reached, when the plunger J, J are in their fully retracted position or in timed relation to piston B, and occurs when substantially the minimum pressure is in the combustion chamber of the engine and in fuel tray E. The sudden descent of said plunger produces a corresponding lessening of pressure in the fuel tray, the restricted passage way F not permitting a sufficiently rapid flow of the contents of the combustion chamber into said fuel tray to maintain the pressure therein corresponding to that which obtains in the combustion chamber. This sudden decrease of pressure in the fuel tray assists in opening the valve G, illustrated in Fig. 1, and causes a flow of fuel from the chamber formed by annular groove h, through passage Way 9, into the fuel tray. This operation is desired in what are known as high speed engines.

1.'In combination with an engine of the class described having a combustion cylinder and a piston therein, means for feeding fuel to said cylinder comprising a fuel tank, a compression chamber of two diameters, the smaller of which communicates with the engine cylinder and the larger having a conduit leading to said fuel tank, and a plunger of two diameters in said compression chamber actuated in timed relationship to the engine piston to compress fluid and force the same together with fuel into the combustion cylinder and to apply pressure to said fuel tank.

2. In combination with an engine of the class described, having a combustion cylin-' der and a piston therein, a compression chamber, and a plunger in said compression cham-v ber, a fuel tank connected to deliver fuel for injection by said plunger, and means for actu ating said plunger lengthwise .in timed relationship to the engine piston to inject the fuel into the cylinder and also to apply pressure to the fuel in the tank.

3. In an engine of the class described, a fuel depository provided with a restricted passage to the engine cylinder and with an additional passageway communicating therewith whereby fuel from the depository may enter therein, a movable member in said additional passageway for compressing a fluid to force fuel in the depository into the cylinder, said movable member being provided with achamber intermediateits endsand with an opening from said chamber, in combination with means to actuate said movable member in timed relation to the engine piston to force the contents of the fuel depository into the engine cylinder and to force some of the'contents of the chamber into said opening.

4. In an engine of theclass described, a fuel depositorywith a restricted passage to the engine cylinder and provided with an additional passageway communicating therewith whereby fuel fromthe depository and fluid under pressure from the cylinder may enter therein, a memberlongitudinally movablein said passageway. for compressing said fluid to force the same and the fuel in the depository into the engine cylinder, said movablemember and passageway being provided with a chamber having communication with a fuel supply tank, a duct from said tank to said engine, and means to actuate said movable member in timed relation to the engine piston to force the contents of the fuel depository into the engine cylinder and to force some of the contents of said chamber into said fuel supply tank.

5. In an engine of the class described, the combination of means, for feeding fuel to an engine cylinder and for lubricating said feeding means comprising a fuel depository having a feed passage thereinto and with a compression chamber opening thereinto so a part of the fuel will enter said chamber, a plunger in said chamber, a continuous passage leading from the fuel depository to said engine cylinder, a fuel tank with a connectionto said fuel passage, a conduit leading from a part of said chamber intermediate the ends of the plunger and meansfor actuating the plunger in timed relation to said engine piston to compress the fluid and force the same with the fuel depository contents into said cylinder and further to apply pressure through said conduit to the fuel in the tank and to return to the tank at least a part of the surplus fuel passing the compression end of the plunger.

6. An engine having,in combination with a power cylinder and piston, a fuel tank, and a fuel-injecting pump adjacent the power cylinder and arranged to create fuel-feeding pressure in said tank and also to feed successive charges of fuel to the cylinder.

7. An engine having, in combination with a power cylinder and piston, a fuel tank, and a fuel-injecting pump adjacent the power cylinder having a reciprocating plunger including eluding a part of one diameter arranged to create fuel-feeding pressure in said tank and another part of a different diameter arranged to feed successive charges of fuel to the cylv inder.

9. An engine having, in combination with a power cylinder and piston, an engine-operaced fuelpump adjacent said cylinder including a pump plunger having a fuel-injecting-end part of small diameter and a fluid compressing part of large diameter, said large diameter part being arranged to be acted on opposite its fluid-compressing portion by fluidcompressed by the power piston to operatethe pump plunger.

10. In an engine of the class describedaa 'fuel feeding-plunger arranged to-p'ermita slight leakage on its compression str0ke, a fuel tank, and" means forconveying to the 'fuel tank compressed fuel leaking past the plunger. v

" WALDO G. GERNANDT. 

